How Much Data is Used For Open Mesh Cloud Management?

You got questions, I got answers.

You see, I’m not just a network guy … Nossir,  there’s so much more. My cranium is enormous, I could be a male model, and I’m learning the Ukulele. I’m a CWNE, a newly minted Cisco CHAMPION (that’s right, Bucko- a champion– I might even run in the Kentucky Derby this year), but I’m also a gonzo bloggist. I don’t write the story. I live the story.  Hell, frequently I am the story.

And I ask the tough questions.

Like after I published this article about Open Mesh’s new access points (which I happen to be connected to as I type this, thank you very much) and a cheeky fellow asked me on Twitter something like “how much data do those Open Mesh APs use for cloud management, and would I have to worry about it on small WAN links?” I couldn’t give this gent a straight answer, because I didn’t know. Somehow, my enormous cranium did not have that information stored. But I knew where to go find it, I tellya.

The first thing I did was to go to my Meraki dashboard and look where my Open Mesh switch with four attached APs uplinked into the Meraki environment. (Yes, I’m mixing cloud-managed solutions, and I have never felt so alive!) Anyhow, I saw maybe 27ish kbps of traffic that looked like it was probably Open Mesh admin traffic heading out, and it was happening every few minutes. I shared this with my  inquisitive Twitter pal, but I wanted confirmation from the top. I had to know with certainty, from the source. And I knew just how to get it.

I’d need to breach the Open Mesh corporate perimeter and make someone talk. 

Mind you, I was prepared to go all the way on this mission- if you know what I mean. I’ve run these ops before, and rarely do I come up empty-handed. In this case, I tried the oldest trick in the book; I asked my contact directly.

Evidently she knew the stakes and thought better of trying to wiggle out  of the situation.

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Lee, 

Here’s what I got back regarding management traffic: access points check in every 5 minutes and send on average ~5KB of data

Let me know if you were looking for something else. 

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BAM! Not only did I brazenly come away with the inside scoop thus showing my style and my energy, I corroborated my own findings-  proving that there’s essentially nothing I can’t do in this wretched, unforgiving world of pain.

Now, what I don’t know, and am big enough to admit: Is Meraki’s cloud management traffic load similar? Is Aerohive? Cucumber Tony? Other vendors? I don’t know, because to date, I have not really cared. My running assumption has been “it’s not enough traffic to care about” on any link. Maybe someone else can step up and put a finer point on it.

But let the record show- we now know, with certainty and style, what the overhead cloud-bound traffic for Open Mesh is.

And ain’t no one taking that away from us.